Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Richard Quigley and Michael Shanks

Tuesday 18th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[Mr Richard Quigley (Isle of Wight West) (Lab)]

T3. As Members all know by now, the Isle of Wight is a great place to live, work and learn, but it is not just getting ourselves across the Solent that is a problem, but exporting our green energy under it. Of the three subsea cables connecting us to the grid, two are at capacity and the third is dedicated to a power station that only runs for a few hours a month. I am grateful to Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks for its engagement so far, but will the Minister meet me, SSEN and the Isle of Wight council so that we can find a way to export our energy and unlock the Isle of Wight’s green future?

[Michael Shanks]

This is partly why the upgrade of our grid is so important. My hon. Friend references the particular example of the Isle of Wight, but right across the country we need to build much more transmission infrastructure so that we can get power to communities and businesses that need it most and bring down bills by getting clean power to people. I am happy to speak to him further about the specific case, and I know he is already engaging with the distribution network operator responsible for this case to make things happen.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Richard Quigley and Michael Shanks

Tuesday 14th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Mr Richard Quigley (Isle of Wight West) (Lab)]

15. What steps he is taking to support green energy companies to build onshore wind turbines.

[The Minister for Energy (Michael Shanks)]

The Government have published an onshore wind strategy to remove barriers to help companies build more onshore wind, with actions across several areas including planning, aviation, workforce and routes to market.

[Mr Quigley]

The UK is committed to growing our wind energy manufacturing capacity, but this requires investment in innovation to develop the next generation of products that could be made in the UK, using expertise that exists in places like my constituency of Isle of Wight West. Can the Minister assure me that the Government are doing everything possible to provide the funding to not only create jobs but provide sovereign ownership of blade technology and development in the UK, so that we become a true energy superpower?

[Michael Shanks]

My hon. Friend is right to recognise the importance of the industry in his constituency. Vestas is a key part of the UK’s wind supply chain. The Isle of Wight is already a successful centre for wind blade manufacturing and research and development. I can assure him that we are doing everything we can to work with partners and right across Government on the proposal, and that includes the agreement in principle between Vestas and the Government to support the factory’s repurposing to make onshore wind blades, saving 300 jobs.